One of the goals of kidney stone treatment is to keep your urine as dilute as possible. This helps to keep the substances that could potentially form a kidney stone, such as calcium and oxalate, moving quickly through the urinary tract.

Try to drink at least 2 liters of fluid a day.

A good gauge of whether or not you are drinking enough fluids is urine color. Except for the first thing in the morning, it should be pale in color. If your urine is dark yellow, that's an indication that you should drink more fluids.

If you are hesitant to drink too much during the day because you have a bladder control problem, discuss this concern with your doctor.

Whether or not diet can help you avoid another kidney stone depends on what kind of stone you had and what caused it to form in the first place. If your stone was made up of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, or uric acid, what you eat or do not eat can help prevent a recurrence.

Note that these are only guidelines. People taking certain kinds of medications will need to avoid certain foods. Always follow the advice of your doctor or registered dietitian in making any diet changes.

If your kidney stones contained calcium oxalate, you may also need to avoid certain plant foods that bind with calcium and other minerals. If your body is not absorbing and using calcium correctly, you could end up with too much oxalate in your urine. You can reduce the level of oxalate in your system by avoiding these foods:

Spinach

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Chocolate

Wheat bran

Nuts

Beets

Brewed tea

Limit your intake of animal protein from meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. If you have gout, ask your doctor about other dietary restrictions.

Make sure to drink plenty of fluids. This may require more than the 2 liters recommended for other types of kidney stones. Talk to your doctor about how much fluid you need.

If you have questions about your diet or your medication

If you are experiencing any side effects from your medication

If you are having difficulty with bladder control as a result of increasing your fluid intake

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.